Heart Disease Prevention - Will Workplace Noise Cause Heart Disease?

A recent study by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) stressed that reducing workplace noise levels can not only prevent hearing loss but also have impact on blood pressure and cholesterol. Click the following link to find out more:

Heart Disease Prevention - Will Workplace Noise Cause Heart Disease?

Heart Disease Prevention - Why Heart Disease Risk Is Assessed By How One Sleeps?

According to a new study, up to one third or one fourth of the general population suffer from inadequate sleep: either insufficient duration of sleep or poor quality of sleep. Previous studies have linked inadequate sleep to an elevated risk of heart attack and stroke. Find out more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - Why Heart Disease Risk Is Assessed By How One Sleeps?

Heart Disease Prevention - Is Fat But Fit Theory Valid?

While people want to have some sort of confirmation on the fact that being obese is not that bad at all time and there might actually be a very small number of obese people who can maintain good health, the majority would not be able to achieve over the long term. Find out why @Heart Disease Prevention - Is Fat But Fit Theory Valid?

Heart Disease Prevention - How Is Snow Shoveling Linked To Heart Attack?

Snow shoveling is a unique form of exertion that can be vigorous. There is no doubt that physical activity performed over the long term could actually benefit one’s health by lowering the risk of heart disease and other medical disorders. But vigorous exercise might also acutely increase the immediate risk of cardiac event. Click the following link to find out how snow shovelling is linked to heart attack.

Heart Disease Prevention - How Is Snow Shoveling Linked To Heart Attack?

Heart Disease Prevention - Why Should People Eat More Brown Bread?

More and more people are consuming brown bread instead of the ordinary white bread because people believe brown bread is healthier for them. Brown bread, sometimes also called wholemeal, whole wheat or wholegrain bread, usually means the bread is made of unrefined whole-wheat grains. Why? Find out more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - Why Should People Eat More Brown Bread?

What We Eat Are Influenced By What Friends Eat

Overweight or obese is a major health issue many nations are facing for years. Besides lack of physical activities, many health experts also blame unhealthy foods as the main culprit.

Why do the experts so concern about overweight and obesity? A person who is overweight or obese is more likely to develop various medical disorders including Type-2 diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and stroke. Some studies also linked obesity to certain kinds of cancer.

Many diet plans are available. But to get rid of the extra weight one has is never easy. One has to be very determined and discipline as well. As a new study suggested, one has also have to stay away from the influence from the peers.

According to a paper published online September 16, 2014 in the journal ‘Appetite’, researchers from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Cornell University revealed that when people share a meal with an overweight person, they are more likely to eat terribly.

82 undergraduate students were asked to eat lunch that included spaghetti and a salad, with an actress. The researchers randomly assigned the students to 1 of 4 conditions: the actress wore a fat suit but served herself more salad than pasta; she wore a fat suit and served herself more pasta than salad; she appeared without the fat suit and served herself more salad than pasta; and she appeared without the fat suit and served herself more pasta than salad.

It is observed that when they are eating with overweight eating companions, regardless of what the actress serves herself, participants ate more pasta. They ate less salad even if the overweight person ate more salad. Why did this happen? It is possible that people feel less motivated to be healthy with someone who is overweight, as posited by the researchers.

The study was neither intended to fat-shame nor to pass the blame for the act of overeating. It, however, provided evidence that the body type of an eating companion and whether she served herself healthily or unhealthily, affected the quantity of food intake. Meanwhile, the findings could also remind people to be more mindful of how much they are consuming by understanding how environment and people around could actually affect the eating habits.

Peer pressure could influence people’s eating behaviors. People tend to eat and exercise to look like their friends and family members. They change their habits to mirror those of their friends without necessarily thinking or talking about an ideal body weight.

In 2011, a study published on May 9 in ‘the American Journal of Public Health’ confirmed that if people have heavier friends, family members, and colleagues, it is more likely that they will be heavier, too. The stronger the relationship between the 2 people, the stronger the link between their weights.

How Much Trans Fat Are You Eating?

Trans fat is made from a manufacturing process in which hydrogen is added to oil to make it solid. Being easy to use, inexpensive to produce and able to last a long time, trans fat also give foods a desirable taste and texture. Many restaurants and fast-food outlets use trans fat to deep-fry foods because oils with trans fat can repeatedly be used in commercial fryers.

 

Research has shown that even relatively small doses of few grams of trans fat a day could raise the bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) and lower good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein). Hence, consuming high amount of trans fat can increase the risk of getting many chronic diseases including heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

 

While consumption of trans fat has fallen in the United States since a decade ago, a new study by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene revealed that trans fat is still remarkably pervasive in the United States food supply. Their findings were published August 28, 2014 in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) journal ‘Preventing Chronic Disease’.

 

Among 4,340 top-selling packaged foods, 9 percent contain partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) that is the source of trans fat. Of these, 84 percent even proclaimed themselves free of trans fat, with 0 gram printed on the labels, as long as the amount is limited to between 0 and 0.5 grams trans fat per serving. Such labeling has caused confusion to consumers who are probably not aware that they are consuming trans-fat though they bought products with ‘0 grams’ trans fat.

 

Some of the foods with most trans fat were baked goods, snacks, frozen foods and products with seasoning in them. 35 percent of products in the cookies category contain PHO.

 

According to the Institute of Medicine, there is no safe level of artificial trans fat. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that they are considering revoking the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) status of trans fat. If that is the case, the trans fat will be recognized to be unsafe, and food manufacturers would be required to remove them from all products.

 

Though restricting the use of PHO in packaged food would certainly benefit consumers preparing foods at home, an FDA ruling would also help ensure that restaurant customers are protected from unknowingly consuming industrial trans fat.

 

Some local jurisdictions, like California, New York City, Baltimore and Montgomery County, have restricted the use of PHO in food service establishments, but most Americans live in areas where no such regulation exists.

 

In fact, many countries including Denmark, Switzerland, Canada have reduced or restricted the use of trans fat in food service establishments.

Does Number Of Obese Kids Decline?

Childhood obesity has always been a headache for most nations. When a child is overweight or obese, it is very likely that he or she will be an overweight or obese adult who might become a victim of chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and stroke.

Because of the prevailing lifestyle, childhood obesity has become an epidemic. Health organizations and government authorities have put in a lot of efforts in curbing the rising trend.

In a paper published in 2014 in the ‘Journal of the American Medical Association’s JAMA Pediatrics’, researchers from New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported that the most obese children in the New York City have taken off the most weight. 

For the study, the researchers looked at the annual weight and height data taken on nearly 950,000 school children aged between 5 and 14 in public schools for the 2006-2007 school year and compared the 2010-2011 school year. Their analysis showed that comparing to 2006-2007 school year, severe obesity among NYC public school students in grades K-8 decreased 9.5 percent and obesity decreased 5.5 percent.

Though the numbers are rather small, they did reverse a 40-year trend. Since the 1970s, the rate of obesity had more than tripled, and nearly 6 percent of the American kids are severely obese nationally.

On the other hand, data from very large national surveys show that all kinds of obesity are rising in American children. Some other studies, however, have shown that there are declines in extreme obesity among the very youngest kids who might be the easiest to influence. 

Measurement of obesity in kids is different from that in adults. Children are considered overweight if they are in the 85th to 95th percentile of the BMI (body mass index), for all children their age. Anything over the 95th percentile is obese; severe obesity (Class 2) is at 120 percent and morbid obesity (Class 3) is defined as 140 percent. 

According to researchers, a lot of things have been done in schools. The Department of Education has a program called ‘Move to Improve’ that trains public school teachers on means to incorporate fitness into classrooms. For instance, the youngest kids might be encouraged to stand up at their desks and walk in place as they imagine taking a nature walk, while older kids might dance. 

Meanwhile, schools have also been forced to improve the food they are serving. In fact, most New York public school kids get free meals at school, and this sets norms for what they eat outside school. But kids are exposed to other influences one they step out the school.

Clearly, many more need to be done. The city wants to work next to encourage supermarket chains to open more stores in neighborhoods. The city has also started a program called ‘Health Bucks’, which distributes $2 vouchers for people to use at farmer’s markets, to encourage people to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Heart Disease Prevention - Why And How You Should Care For Your Heart?

World Health Organization (WHO) ranks cardiovascular disease as the top cause of death globally. Cardiovascular diseases refer to all diseases of the heart and circulation, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, congenital heart disease and stroke. They were responsible for about 17.3 million deaths in 2008…

Heart Disease Prevention - Why And How You Should Care For Your Heart?

Why Should People Get Married?

People do not get married for numerous reasons. Some are single-at-heart; others do not marry just for the sake of marrying. In reality, marriage is good for the couple and it also provides the optimal condition for bearing and raising children.

It is believed that married couples are healthier, happier and enjoy loner lives than those who are not married. Married people have fewer heart disease problems, too.

A study of more than 3.5 million Americans found that married people were less likely than singles, divorced or widowed folks to suffer any type of heart disease or blood vessel problem. Being presented March 29, 2014 in Washington, DC at the annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology, the findings were true at any age, for women and for men, and regardless of other heart disease risk factors they had such as high cholesterol or diabetes.

Researchers at New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center claimed that their study was the largest that looked at marriage and heart health. Most of the previous studies either compared married to single people and lacked information on divorced and widowed ones, or just looked at heart attack. The current study looked at many more other things including a full range from clogged arteries and abdominal aneurysms to stroke risks and circulation problems in the legs.

Participants were asked to fill out health questionnaires when they sought various types of tests in community settings around the country from an Ohio company, Life Line Screening Inc. Analysis of data found that married people had a 5 percent lower risk of any cardiovascular disease compared to single people. Compared to married people, widowed and divorced people had a 3 percent and 5 percent greater risk of it.

Meanwhile, marriage seemed to do the most good for those under age 50; they had a 12 percent lower risk of heart-related disease than single people with same age. Smoking, as a major heart risk, was highest among divorced people and lowest in widowed ones. Obesity was most common in those single and divorced, and widowed people had the highest rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and inadequate exercise.

While the researchers insisted that more research is required to better understand the precise reasons why marital status affects risk of heart disease, they suggested that it is possible that married couples look after each other, making sure their spouse eats healthy, exercises regularly, and takes medication as prescribed. A spouse can also help keep doctors’ appointments and provide transportation, making for easier access to health care services.

High Cholesterol In Children Should Not Be Ignored!

Being the leading cause of death for men and women, heart disease takes away the lives of about 600,000 Americans every year. According to the Center for Disease Prevention (CDC), the yearly cost of coronary heart disease alone is $108.9 billion, which includes the cost of health care services, medications and lost productivity.

Heart disease would normally strike a person during his or her middle or old age. But several studies, which were presented at American College of Cardiology 63rd Annual Scientific Session & Expo CME held between March 29 and 31, 2014 in Washington, indicated that more and more Americans children and young adults are affected by heart disease. 

One study conducted by researchers from the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston who looked at the screening records of nearly 13,000 children getting routine physical checkup at the hospital’s clinics for more than 2 years. They found that 41 percent of the obese children had abnormal levels of cholesterol, and more than a third of healthy-weight children also had abnormal levels of cholesterol. These kids, according to researchers, are more likely on the road to developing heart disease as adults since high cholesterol has been known to be a risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

Kids aged between 9 and 11 are usually too young to take cholesterol-lowering medications, although those kids with very high cholesterol should. Instead, they and their parents should be advised on diet and exercise. Eating more fruits and vegetables, and consuming less fat and sugar can certainly lower cholesterol. Exercise would help, too. Getting kids to start young with healthy lifestyles can help them through life.

While cardiovascular disease in children is rather rare, it is known that atherosclerosis has its beginnings in childhood. Atherosclerosis occurs when arteries are hardening and narrowing. As reported in previous studies, ultrasound examinations of some children as young as 10 have shown that they can have arteries that are already as clogged as some middle-aged peoples'.

Perhaps, the new findings would lend support to recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics that all kids aged between 9 and 11 should get cholesterol screening. Meanwhile, it will also push pediatricians to follow the NHLBI (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute) guidelines more closely, watching out for cholesterol abnormalities even in young children.

In 2011, NHLBI recommended in their new guidelines that even children between the ages of 9 and 11 should undergo cholesterol screening, with a follow-up after they turn 17.

Heart Disease Prevention - Has Childhood Obesity Been Declined in America?

Earlier studies have suggested childhood obesity in the United States was beginning to turn around and kids in some places are becoming thinner. In fact, earlier this year, CDC reported obesity was starting to decline among preschoolers. But data from very large surveys showed that all types of obesity are on the rise across the country, and the very fattest children might be getting worse. Find out more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - Has Childhood Obesity Been Declined in America?

Cut Sugar Intake To Half For Better Health!

According to a study published in January 2014 in the ‘Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine’, consuming too much sugar could significantly raise the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke).

The study found that people who took in between 17 and 21 percent of calories from added sugar had a 38 percent high risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to those who consumed 8 percent of their calories from added sugar. The risk was more than double for those who consumed 21 percent or more of their calories from added sugar.

Does this means sugar is something bad for the health? This is not entirely true. Human body needs sugar to function. Naturally occurring sugar that is found in some fruits, vegetables and milks is basically healthy. It is the added sugar that is bad for the body.

Sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed are called added sugar. Sugar-sweetened drinks, fruit drinks, candy, cakes and grain-based desserts are some that contain added sugar. As added sugars are high in energy, they have been accused of contributing to obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure) and high cholesterol.

On March 5, 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that the daily sugar intake should be just 5 percent of the total calories intake, equivalent to around 25 grams (around 6 teaspoons) of sugar for an adult of normal BMI (body mass index). The new guideline is only half of what WHO had recommended more than a decade ago (since 2002).

New guideline was formulated based on a review of about 9,000 studies on the consumption of sugars and how that relates to excess weight gain and tooth decay in adults and children.

There is no doubt that Americans and people in the West are consuming too much sugar. For instance, most American adults consume about 22 teaspoons of added sugar, which is closed to 400 calories, a day. This is about 4 times of the recommended amount, meaning their average sugar intake should drop by at two-third to meet the new WHO’s suggested limit.

It is hoped that the WHO’s new guidelines would force the food manufacturers to rethink how they are using sugar in processed foods like bread, soups, pasta sauces and even salad dressings.

So far, there is no universally agreed consensus on how much sugar should be consumed. For instance, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends sugar intake should be limited to about 8 percent of the diet: men and women should not consume more than 150 (9 teaspoons) and 100 (6 teaspoons) calories respectively a day.

Why Risk Of Stroke Declined In Singapore?

In Singapore, the risk of getting a stroke for all age groups has been reduced each year. According to The Ministry of Health (MOH), the rate of strokes per 100,000 people has lowered from 175 in 2007 to 158 in 2011. The number of deaths from stroke has also dropped from 39 in 2007 to 34 per 100,000 people in 2011. All the figures were after adjusting for an older population.

Stroke is, however, still the fourth leading cause of death that accounts for 9 percent of total mortality in Singapore. People who are most at risk are those are elderly, smokers, hypertensive (high blood pressure), and those who have high cholesterol and diabetes.

A study on 240 acute ischemic stroke patients at the National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore found that hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor (75 percent), followed by high cholesterol (57 percent), atrial fibrillation (35 percent), diabetes mellitus (29 percent) and smoking (26 percent). The findings can be found in March 2013’s issue of JAMA (The Journal Of The American Medical Association) Neurology.

Fortunately, besides the number of smoking, diabetes and obesity that have increased, the number of Singapore residents aged between 18 and 69 years old with hypertension and high cholesterol has declined since 1998.

32.5 percent of Singapore residents had hypertension and 28.2 percent had high cholesterol in 1998 but the 2010’s National Health Survey showed that only 23.5 percent had hypertension and 17.4 percent had high cholesterol.

Being the strongest risk factor for stroke, hypertension puts a person at about 4 times higher risk of developing a stroke than a non-hypertensive person. But if the condition can be well controlled with lifestyle modifications and medication, the risk of getting a stroke could be cut by 40 to 50 percent.

There are 2 types of stroke, namely ischemic and hemorrhagic. 80 percent of all strokes here belong to ischemic stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel to the brain is blocked, usually by a blood clot. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures, causing bleeding in or around the brain. This type of stroke, though fewer in number, results in more deaths than ischemic strokes.

The declining death rate in Singapore could be due to better hospital care and stroke treatment, and more importantly, people can take better care of themselves. Meanwhile, better preventive treatment with medications to reduce high cholesterol and hypertension do help lower the rate at which Singaporeans are getting strokes.

While primary prevention is very important, preventing further strokes cannot be overlooked too. The risk for a stroke patient to get another stroke is 10 percent in the first year following a stroke, with the risk highest in the first month.

Rising Stroke Cases Among Younger Age Groups

A stroke is the rapid loss of brain function as a result of disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. It is known as ischemic stroke when the cause is blockage in the arteries, or it is called hemorrhagic stroke when a blood vessel leaks or bursts. The latter is less common.

 

High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for strokes. The other major risk factors are diabetes, atrial fibrillation, high cholesterol, increasing age, heart disease, obesity, and family history of stroke. People aged beyond 55 used to be the likely victims for stroke, but it appears that stroke cases are rising among young and middle-aged adults.

 

According to a study of stroke rates in a 4-county region of Ohio and Kentucky, 12.9 percent of strokes occurred in adults in the age group between 20 and 55 in 1994 but the figure was increased to 18.6 percent in 2005.

 

In the paper published online on October 10, 2012 in journal ‘Neurology’, researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio also showed that the average age of people who experienced a stroke fell from 71 in 1994 to 69 in 2005.

 

Researchers examined data on all stroke patients aged between 20 and 54 seen in hospitals, clinics and nursing homes during 3 separate, yearlong periods: July 1993 through June 1994, 1999, and 2005. They only included patient’s first stroke in the analysis.

 

It was found that the stroke rate among people aged above 75 declined from 1994 to 2005, which was agreed with other studies. For instance, the Framingham Heart Study reported a decrease in stroke rates between 1950 and 2004.

 

Such decline is no doubt encouraging but unfortunately, it is counterbalanced by the rising trend of younger strokes. Having stroke at younger ages means a greater loss of productive life years and greater health care expenses over time.

 

Reasons for the increase were not clear, but several findings revealed during the study period might explain the why. Surveys of people by other institutions in the same region showed an increasing number of people had high cholesterol. Moreover, data from national surveys also indicated an increased rate of diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity over the study period. The increase could also be partly due to better diagnoses of stroke using MRI as a diagnostic tool, according to some experts not involved in the study.

Another Way To Tackle Weight Gain!

When people gain weight, most of them would start worrying and find ways to stop the trend. This is because once the weight gain are large enough for them to become overweight or obese, the likelihood of developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke and Type-2 diabetes, would be much higher than those of normal healthy weight.

Besides conventional methods of losing weight, there is another way to help people lose weight. A study published online on November 11, 2011 in the ‘Journal of Consumer Research’ found that choosing the right size and color of the bowls and plates could help people eat less.

According to researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology and Cornell University, the bigger the dinnerware, the bigger the portion people will consume. People who use larger plates could end up serving 9 percent to 31 percent more than they actually would.

Research showed that since 1900, average size of dinner plates has increased by almost 23 percent. Eating only 50 more calories a day could raise the weight by 5 pound each year.

225 students participated in the study and were asked to pour a specified amount of tomato soup into 1 of 7 different sized bowls. Out of the 7 bowls, 3 were smaller, 3 were larger and 1 was the control bowl. Observations showed that less than the target serving size of soup was served into the smaller bowls and more was served into the larger bowls.

It was found in the follow-up experiments that even with education, awareness or practice, the bowl bias was nearly impossible to eliminate. People tended to over-serve in larger bowls up to 31 percent more than normal.

Such phenomenon might be explained by Delboeuf illusion, which is an optical illusion of relative size perception. People are likely to believe size of a circle is much smaller when surrounded by a large circle. When people place food onto a small plate, the serving size looks relatively larger than it is. This would lead people to underserve.

However, reduction of bowl bias is possible through changing color of tablecloth or plate. On average, people would reduce serving by 21 percent when color of plate was changed, and by 10 percent when color of tablecloth was changed.

In the presence of the perception biases, researchers concluded that the best solution is to replace larger dinnerware by smaller ones or contrast ones.

Why Should Women Breastfeed Their Babies?

Health experts usually advise mothers-to-be to breastfeed their babies for the first 6 months and then to continue breastfeeding along with solid food until their babies are one year old.

 

Breastfeeding is generally believed to benefit both the babies and the mothers. Studies had shown that breastfeeding help protect babies against common ills like diarrhea and middle ear infections. Meanwhile, research also found that women who breastfeed have lower risk of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease later in life.

 

A study that was published on October 12, 2011 in the ‘American Journal of Epidemiology’ reported that mothers, who breastfed for at least 6 months, might have a lower risk of getting high blood pressure over 14 years, comparing with those who had only bottle-fed.

 

Researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill examined the correlation between breastfeeding and later risk of high blood pressure among 55,636 female participants in the long-running Nurses’ Health Study II. All these women had at least one baby.

 

From 1991 to 2005, 8,861 women were diagnosed with high blood pressure. The risk of developing high blood pressure for women who did not breastfeed their first child were 22 percent higher than those who had exclusively breastfed their child for 6 months. In the meantime, the researchers also found that women who had either never breastfed or done so for 3 months or less were almost 25 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who had breastfed for at least a year. Factors such as diet, exercise and smoking habits had been taken into consideration before arriving the results.

 

However, the researchers admitted that none of their findings have proven that breastfeeding itself offers long-term protection against high blood pressure. It is possible that there were some other factors like a stressful working environment that hindered women from breastfeeding and contributed to their blood pressure.

 

On the other hand, it is also likely that breastfeeding has direct benefits. In fact, animal research has found that the hormone oxytocin, which is involved in breastfeeding, has lasting effects on blood pressure. In addition, it is known that women tend to have a lower short-term blood pressure immediately after breastfeeding.

 

It is estimated by the researchers that 12 percent of high blood pressure cases among women with children might be linked to suboptimal breastfeeding, provided if breastfeeding is in fact protective. They also argued that if this is a casual relationship, taking steps to clear obstacles for breastfeeding could actually help women’s health later on.

More Women Are Affected By Heart Disease!

It is thought that heart disease is more common among men. But as what NIH (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute) has announced, heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States and it is also a leading cause of disability among women.

Heart disease, rather than breast cancer, has become the number one killer for women in Malaysia. The statistics provided by the Heart Foundation Malaysia (HFM) showed that 1 in 3 women died of heart disease while only 1 in 8 women died of breast cancer. In fact, heart disease is the major cause of death in government hospitals, which accounted for about 25 percent of all deaths.

In Goa, a state in India, 10 to 11 percent of the population is being hit by heart diseases. While heart disease is spread across the genders, women seem to be leading and this is a situation that has never prevailed in Goa. Initially, heart disease was restricted to the age group above 50 years but now people between 30 and 40 are diagnosed with heart disease.

According to cardiac experts, more women die of heart disease especially after menopause when the oestrogen level in their body changes. When one grows older, the risk of getting heart disease also rises. However, the latest trend does show that those below the age of 40 have also developed heart disease due to their unhealthy eating habits, smoking and alcohol consumption. Other modifiable risk factors include high cholesterol level, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and stress.

It is important that the younger adults should adopt a healthy lifestyle by avoiding alcohol consumption and smoking, having a balanced diet, exercising at least 30 minutes or getting for a brisk walk everyday and learning how to handle stress.

People could lower their high cholesterol risk factor by consuming low cholesterol food items and avoiding food high in animal fat like dairy products, egg yolk, coconut milk and seafood except fish. People should also consume less salt, sugar and oily food to lower other risk factors such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and obesity.

Another Way To Control Weight

Overweight and obesity are big headache for health experts around the world as these 2 conditions will likely raise a person’s risk of getting diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension (high blood pressure), and eventually lead to heart disease or stroke. The medical cost involved can be a heavy burden for the governments.

In order to control body weight, one should watch the amount of food he or she eats. Numerous studies have looked at how the portion size can affect on the amount people eat. A new study, conducted by researchers from University of Utah, Salt Lake City, examined at how the bite size will influence the quantities ingested.

In their paper published in July 2011 in the ‘Journal of Consumer Research’, they argued that bigger bites lead to eating less, but only in restaurant settings.

The study was carried out in a popular Italian restaurant in the South-Western United States. 2 sizes of forks were used to manipulate bite sizes: a larger fork that held 20 percent more food than the fork usually used in the restaurant, and a smaller fork that held 20 percent less than the usual one. It was found that diners who used large forks ate less than those who used small forks.

Tables were furnished with either large fork or small fork over 2 lunches and 2 dinners in the restaurant. Servers, including one of the study's researchers, took customers' orders, and weighed the full plate of food that they had ordered before serving it to them.

Each plate was attached with a small sticky note written with details including weight and other information. At the end of the meal, every plate was brought back to the kitchen and weighed again. The results showed that diners who used the bigger fork ate less food than those who used the smaller fork.

Such theory, however, only worked in a restaurant setting. In another study conducted in the laboratory using also Italian food, researchers found that people who used big forks actually eat more. Hence, the study concluded that there are different motivations when people eat in a restaurant or a laboratory.

If you wish to control the amount you eat, perhaps you should ask for or simply bring along a big fork the next time you visit an Italian restaurant!

How Fast Can Stroke Cause Brain Damage?

A stroke, sometimes also known as brain attack, occurs when there is an interruption of blood supply to any part of the brain because of blockage or burst in one of the blood vessels in the brain. If the brain cannot get blood and oxygen, the brain cells could die and permanent damage would be caused within a relatively short period.

Stroke is one of the top killer s in the developed countries. In Canada, stroke ranks the fourth leading cause of death, affecting as many as 50,000 people and killing 16,000 every year. Risk factors for stroke include alcoholism, diabetes, high cholesterol, overweight or obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and stress.

So how fast can stroke damage the brain?

Common public perception believes that all strokes can be medically treated within 3 hours, but scientists from the University of British Columbia in this Western Canadian city reported otherwise. Their study, which was funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, found that stroke could cause brain damage within 3 minutes.

Generally, stroke can be categorized into 2 types: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are those caused by interruption of the blood supply, while hemorrhagic strokes are those that result from rupture of a blood vessel or an abnormal vascular structure.

About 80 percent of stroke patients suffer ischemic stroke, which can usually be treated by clot-busting medications, provided if they could be admitted to the hospital within 3 hours. In reality, not every stroke patient is a candidate for clot-busting drugs.

Based on the results obtained from animal experiments performed, the scientists declared that brain could be damaged within 3 minutes. Such 3-minute window does not give people sufficient time to even call for help.

Preventive measures, therefore, are urgently required to tackle structural changes that happen very early on. People just need to manage risk factors and change their lifestyle to prevent getting a stroke, instead of relying on treatment when stroke strikes them.